Wood Dale man gets 9 years for bomb-making materials

A Wood Dale man was sentenced to nine years in prison Monday for possessing the components and chemicals to make bombs, including a device he allegedly set off inside a church’s trash bin.

Bryan Roehr, 25, had previously pleaded guilty in DuPage County court to one count of possession of an explosive or incendiary device.

He was arrested in August 2011 after he allegedly made threats against someone who owned him money, reportedly telling his debtor that the bedroom of the person’s 2-year-old child would be a good place for a bomb.

The person went to police, who conducted a search at Roehr’s resident in the 200 block of North Oakwood Drive and came away with several pounds of explosive chemicals and parts for making pipe bombs.

After he was questioned by police, Roehr admitted testing several bombs at various locations around DuPage County, including one device which he placed in a trash bin at a church in Bensenville, according to prosecutors.

The device detonated and blew the lid off the trash container, said Roehr, who told police he bought the chemicals online and learned bomb making by watching internet videos.

After additional investigation in his case, Roehr was also charged with aggravated possession of child pornography. His sentence Monday included a concurrent five-year term on that charge, prosecutors said.